-s-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "s"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -s, -es, from Old English -es (“-'s”, masculine and neuter genitive singular ending), which survives in many old compounds. In more recent coinage, from contraction of the derived clitic -'s in compounds. For more, see -'s.

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds, equivalent to the possessive clitic -'s.

   hogshead, kingsman, yearsworth, jobsworth, womenswear

See also

English terms interfixed with -s-

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch -s-.

Interfix

-s-

1. An interfix used to link elements in some compounds, originally a genitival interfix.

   ‎aanleerder (“learner”) + ‎-s- + ‎woordeboek (“dictionary”) → ‎aanleerderswoordeboek

   ‎staat (“state”) + ‎-s- + ‎kaping (“hijacking, privateering”) → ‎staatskaping

Usage notes

• Use of the -s- interfix in Afrikaans is based on patterns in the existing vocabulary. It is frequently used after the -ing, -ie and the -er suffixes. It is seldom used following mass nouns.
• The -s- is not used when the previous element end on s: poskantoor. It is not used when the next element begins with s: stadspoort, but stadsaal (no interfix).

See also

Afrikaans terms interfixed with -s-

Albanian

Interfix

-s-

1. a consonant that sometimes appears as a ligature between the elements of a compound word.

   ‎plotë (“full”, adjective) + ‎-s- + ‎-oj (verbal suffix) → ‎plotësoj (“I complete; I satisfy, fulfill”)

Derived terms

Albanian terms interfixed with -s-

Danish

Interfix

-s-

1. Interfix inserted in some compounds.

Usage notes

The usage of fuge-s is phonetically motivated. It is applied on a per-modifier basis, meaning that if the first root generates fuge-s in one compound, it will usually do so in all compounds, even if the second already begins with an s, as in dødsstraf (død + straf) or affaldssæk (affald + sæk).

Derived terms

Danish terms interfixed with -s-

Dutch

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds.

   ‎dood (“dead”) + ‎-s- + ‎kist (“chest”) → ‎doodskist

   ‎ezel (“donkey”) + ‎-s- + ‎brug (“bridge”) + ‎-etje (diminutive suffix) → ‎ezelsbruggetje

Derived terms

Dutch terms interfixed with -s-

Related terms

• -e-
• -en-

Elfdalian

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Derived terms

Elfdalian terms interfixed with -s-

Finnish

Etymology

Common sound-symbolic element, often attached to after a -p-. Probably akin to diminutive suffixes like -sa and -su.

Interfix

-s-

1. A sound-symbolic interfix without any meaning.

Usage notes

Generally attached to between a plosive and a following vowel roughly in the middle of any given root.

Derived terms

Finnish terms interfixed with -s-

German

Alternative forms

• -es-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s/

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds.

   ‎Gestein (“rock”) + ‎-s- + ‎Formation (“formation”) → ‎Gesteinsformation (“geological formation”)

   ‎Arbeit (“work”) + ‎-s- + ‎Zimmer (“room”) → ‎Arbeitszimmer (“workroom, study”)

Usage notes

• This interfix is used regularly after most derivational suffixes such as -heit, -ling, -tum, -ung, including borrowed ones like -ität, -tion. Otherwise it is used only after a minority of words. Most of these are strong masculine and neuter nouns, but not without exception (cf. Arbeit f above). There are also words that use it in some compounds but not in others, e.g. Arbeitszimmer, Arbeitgeber, Darlehensgeber.

Derived terms

German terms interfixed with -s-

See also

• -n-, -en-

Navajo

Interfix

-s-

1. a consonant that sometimes appears as a ligature between the elements of a compound word.

   ‎bįįh + ‎-s- + ‎tsoh → ‎bįįstsoh

See also

• -ł-
• -sh-

Norwegian Bokmål

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Derived terms

Norwegian Bokmål terms interfixed with -s-

Norwegian Nynorsk

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk terms interfixed with -s-

See also

• -es-

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From a genitival suffix, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *-as. Cognates include German -s- and Dutch -s-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-s-/

Interfix

-s-

1. Used to link two elements in some compounds.

Derived terms

Saterland Frisian terms interfixed with -s-

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish -s (“genitival suffix”), from Old Norse -s. Many noun phrases with -s later merged into single-word compounds, but the s remained, now serving the function of a joining interfix as opposed to a suffix placed on a single word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s/

Interfix

-s-

1. Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Usage notes

• In Swedish, this interfix is called the foge-s.
• As a rule of thumb, a compound noun starting with another compound noun gets an -s- (or an -e- or the like), though this only applies to nouns that can take an interfix at all (nouns ending in -are (-er) get shortened to -ar instead, for example). Compare for example bildäck (bil (car) + däck (tire) = car tire) and lastbilsdäck (last (cargo) + bil (car) (= truck) + -s- + däck (tire) = truck tire). Intuitively, the -s- disambiguates cargocar-tire from cargo-cartire. This also extends to longer compound nouns, like lastbilsdäckstryck (truck tire pressure) and lastbilsdäckslufttryck (truck tire air pressure), which get an additional -s- before tryck (pressure) and lufttryck (air pressure), respectively (with the last example meant to illustrate that lufttryck does not turn into "luftstryck," as the word decomposes as lastbil (truck) + däck (tire) + lufttryck (air pressure)). In practice, such long compound nouns would often be rewritten as several words for the sake of readability (for example, "lufttrycket i lastbilsdäcken" (the air pressure in the truck tires)), though they sometimes crop up. Note that this rule of thumb only covers one case. Many other compound nouns also get an -s-.
• Another rule of thumb is that a compound noun that starts with a noun that ends in -ing (-ing) always gets an -s-. For example, tidning (newspaper) and artikel (article) turns into tidningsartikel.

Derived terms

Swedish terms interfixed with -s-

See also

• -a-
• -e-
• -es-
• -o-
• -u-